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Unconstrained Astrometric Orbits for Hipparcos Stars with Stochastic SolutionsA considerable number of astrometric binaries whose positions on the skydo not obey the standard model of mean position, parallax, and linearproper motion were observed by the Hipparcos satellite. Some of themremain undiscovered, and their observational data have not been properlyprocessed with the more adequate astrometric model that includesnonlinear orbital motion. We develop an automated algorithm, based on``genetic optimization,'' to solve the orbital fitting problem in themost difficult setup, when no prior information about the orbitalelements is available (from, e.g., spectroscopic data or radial velocitymonitoring). We also offer a technique to accurately compute theprobability that an orbital fit is bogus, that is, that an orbitalsolution is obtained for a single star, and to estimate the probabilitydistributions for the fitting orbital parameters. We test this method onHipparcos stars with known orbital solutions in the catalog and furtherapply it to 1561 stars with stochastic solutions, which may beunresolved binaries. At a confidence level of 99%, orbital fits areobtained for 65 stars, most of which have not been known as binary. Itis found that reliable astrometric fits can be obtained even if theperiod is somewhat longer than the time span of the Hipparcos mission,that is, if the orbit is not closed. A few of the new probable binarieswith A-type primaries with periods 444-2015 days are chemically peculiarstars, including Ap and λ Bootis types. The anomalous spectra ofthese stars are explained by admixtures of light from the unresolved,sufficiently bright and massive companions. We estimate the apparentorbits of four stars that have been identified as members of the ~300Myr old Ursa Major kinematic group. Another four new nearby binaries mayinclude low-mass M-type or brown dwarf companions. Follow-upspectroscopic observations in conjunction with more accurate inclinationestimates will lead to better estimates of the secondary mass. Similarastrometric models and algorithms can be used for binary stars andplanet hosts observed by SIM and Gaia.

The Rotation of Binary Systems with Evolved ComponentsIn the present study we analyze the behavior of the rotational velocity,vsini, for a large sample of 134 spectroscopic binary systems with agiant star component of luminosity class III, along the spectral regionfrom middle F to middle K. The distribution of vsini as a function ofcolor index B-V seems to follow the same behavior as their singlecounterparts, with a sudden decline around G0 III. Blueward of thisspectral type, namely, for binary systems with a giant F-type component,one sees a trend for a large spread in the rotational velocities, from afew to at least 40 km s-1. Along the G and K spectral regionsthere are a considerable number of binary systems with moderate tomoderately high rotation rates. This reflects the effects ofsynchronization between rotation and orbital motions. These rotatorshave orbital periods shorter than about 250 days and circular or nearlycircular orbits. Except for these synchronized systems, the largemajority of binary systems with a giant component of spectral type laterthan G0 III are composed of slow rotators.

On the Variability of G0-G9 StarsWe investigate the Hipparcos Satellite photometry of G0-G9 stars. Mostare not particularly variable over the 3 year observing period, but maybe over a longer time. Stars for which further study is desirable areidentified.

Red supergiants in the LMC - III: luminous F and G starsNew BVRI observations for 40 and spectrophotometric measurements for 23F to G LMC supergiant candidates (and 3 galactic F to G supergiants) arepresented. The errors of the BVRI data are 0.01 to 0.03 mag in mostcases. The wavelength range of the spectra is 3400 to 6400 Angstroms,their resolution 10 Angstroms. The mean error of the fluxes is 0.03 mag.Spectral indices measuring the strengths of the Hβ , Hγ ,Hdelta , NaD and CaII H+K lines, the CHα_ {0} and CNbeta_ {0}bands, of the Balmer jump and the slope of the continuum redwards arediscussed as measures of effective temperature and luminosity on thebasis of galactic stars with accurate MK types and parallaxes. TheHγ line and the continuum gradient are very good temperaturecriteria, the CHα_ {0} band and especially the Balmer jump forluminosity. The luminosity classification given for F to G supergiantcandidates in the LMC in the literature is often doubtful. 5 of the 23stars observed spectrophotometrically turn out to be probably galacticforeground dwarfs on the basis both of the Balmer jump and thecomparison of their flux distributions with synthetic ones based on theKurucz model atmospheres. Surface gravities derived purely on the basisof flux distributions and such ones given by models of stellar evolutionagree with each other for dwarfs and giants only. For supergiants theformer are about 1.0 dex higher than the latter. As a consequenceeffective temperatures and metallicities given by these two methodsdeviate from each other for such stars, too. The intrinsic colours andtemperatures of galactic and LMC supergiants do not differ. Withabsolute magnitudes up to -9.6 mag the upper luminosity limit in the LMCdoes not exceed that in the Galaxy, where Ia-0 supergiants haveMV of up to -9.5 mag. The metallicities of the supergiantsshow a rather large scatter. Nevertheless the mean metallicities of 0.02+/- 0.09 dex for the Galaxy and -0.26 +/- 0.10 dex for the LMC agreewell with other observations.

A catalog of rotational and radial velocities for evolved starsRotational and radial velocities have been measured for about 2000evolved stars of luminosity classes IV, III, II and Ib covering thespectral region F, G and K. The survey was carried out with the CORAVELspectrometer. The precision for the radial velocities is better than0.30 km s-1, whereas for the rotational velocity measurementsthe uncertainties are typically 1.0 km s-1 for subgiants andgiants and 2.0 km s-1 for class II giants and Ib supergiants.These data will add constraints to studies of the rotational behaviourof evolved stars as well as solid informations concerning the presenceof external rotational brakes, tidal interactions in evolved binarysystems and on the link between rotation, chemical abundance and stellaractivity. In this paper we present the rotational velocity v sin i andthe mean radial velocity for the stars of luminosity classes IV, III andII. Based on observations collected at the Haute--Provence Observatory,Saint--Michel, France and at the European Southern Observatory, LaSilla, Chile. Table \ref{tab5} also available in electronic form at CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html

On the link between rotation and coronal activity in evolved stars.We analyse the behaviour of coronal activity as a function of rotationfor a large sample of single and binary evolved stars for which we haveobtained CORAVEL high precision rotational velocities. This study showsthat tidal effects play a direct role in determining the X-ray activitylevel in binary evolved stars. The circularisation of the orbit is anecessary property for enhanced coronal activity in evolved binarystars.

Near-IR spectroscopy and imaging photometry of M 1-16: Bipolar H2 jets in a post-AGB transition objectWe present near-IR long-slit spectroscopy and imaging photometry of thetransition object/proto-planetary nebula M1-16. This object has recentlybeen found to possess multiple bipolar lobes seen in the optical ashigh-velocity (+/- 250 km/s) shock-excited line emission. We havediscovered that M1-16 also possesses spatially extended near-IR emissionprimarily from vibrationally excited molecular hydrogen (H2). The H2emission extends approximately 25 arcseconds into each optical emissionlobe and appears as symmetrically opposed collimated bipolar jets whosedirection is not co-linear with the axis of any of the optical features.From studies of H2 line ratios along the jets, we suggest that the H2emission may not be pre-dominantly shock-excited rather, the ratios seemto indicate a two component model of stronger fluorescent and weakershock emission. Measurements of the v = 1-0 S(1) H2 emission line athigh spectral resolution using an echelle have revealed velocitystructure along the bipolar jets. The H2 jets appear red-shifted in thenorthwest bipolar lobe and blue-shifted in the southeast lobe with avelocity, relative to the central star, increasing linearly withdistance from the source to a maximum of +/- 28 km/s. We propose twomodels to explain the morphology and emission structure of M1-16 in thenear-IR. Both models require that the H2 jets define the current axis ofthe collimated stellar wind, and the velocity increase along the jets isphysical rather than geometric suggesting that the molecular gas isentrained in the stellar wind. The first model implies that the H2 jetsmay be the result of a non-isotropic UV illumination/excitation of theexpanding red giant envelope, while the second interprets the jets asphysical density enhancements in a focussed stellar wind with a moreisotropic irradiation by UV flux.

Einstein Observatory magnitude-limited X-ray survey of late-type giant and supergiant starsResults are presented of an extensive X-ray survey of 380 giant andsupergiant stars of spectral types from F to M, carried out with theEinstein Observatory. It was found that the observed F giants orsubgiants (slightly evolved stars with a mass M less than about 2 solarmasses) are X-ray emitters at the same level of main-sequence stars ofsimilar spectral type. The G giants show a range of emissions more than3 orders of magnitude wide; some single G giants exist with X-rayluminosities comparable to RS CVn systems, while some nearby large Ggiants have upper limits on the X-ray emission below typical solarvalues. The K giants have an observed X-ray emission level significantlylower than F and F giants. None of the 29 M giants were detected, exceptfor one spectroscopic binary.

Spectrophotometry of AR LacertaeSpectrum scans of the RS CVn-type eclipsing binary star AR Lac atdifferent phases in the wavelength range 3200-7600 A are presented anddiscussed. By subtracting the reduced fluxes of the spectrum scanobtained during the totality of the primary eclipse from the fluxes ofthe spectrum scans obtained outside the eclipse, the continuum energydistribution data of the primary star of AR Lac are derived.

Large and kinematically unbiased samples of G- and K-type stars. IV - Evolved stars of the old disk populationModified Stromgren and (R,I) photometry, along with DDO and Genevaphotometry, are presented for a complete sample of evolved old-disk Gand K giants in the Bright Star Catalogue. Stars with ages of between1.5 x 10 to the 9th and 10 to the 10th yr are found to have anear-normal distribution of heavy element abundances, centered on anFe/H abundance ratio of -0.1 dex. The old disk clusters NGC 3680 and IC4651 contain red-straggler young-disk giants that are probablycontemporaries of the blue stragglers in the clusters.

A microwave survey of southern red giantsThe Parkes 64-m telescope has been used to survey a complete sample ofnearby red giants. The sample consisted of all 82 stars within 30 pc inthe Bright Star Catalogue having spectral types G, K, M and luminosityclasses I, II, III and occurring south of the celestial equator.Twenty-four stars, consisting of 19 G or K giants, two G or K brightgiants (luminosity class II) and three of the five M-type giants weredetected in the sample. The emitted 8.4-GHz power and surface fluxdistributions of the 24 detections have medians two orders of magnitudelower than those of the active radio emitters in close binaries andother rapidly rotating single stars. It is shown that the field redgiants with their low rotation velocities probably fit into thesurface-flux/rotation-velocity relation derived for the faster rotators.

The Perkins catalog of revised MK types for the cooler starsA catalog is presented listing the spectral types of the G, K, M, and Sstars that have been classified at the Perkins Observatory in therevised MK system. Extensive comparisons have been made to ensureconsistency between the MK spectral types of stars in the Northern andSouthern Hemispheres. Different classification spectrograms have beengradually improved in spite of some inherent limitations. In thecatalog, the full subclasses used are the following: G0, G5, G8, K0, K1,K2, K3, K4, K5, M0, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, and M8. Theirregularities are the price paid for keeping the general scheme of theoriginal Henry Draper classification.

A photometric survey of the bright southern Be starsRepeated UBV photometric measurements were made of the 86 bright Bestars south of declination -20 deg, and a network of comparison starswas set up. From a statistical study of the differential photometry itwas found that short- or intermediate-term variability seems to beoccurring in about half of the Be stars, and to be more evident in thestars of earlier spectral type. It was also possible to identify 11individual short- or intermediate-term variables. Four of these (all ofearly B spectral type) appear to exhibit significant variability on atime-scale of a day or less. More intensive observations of one of thesestars, 28 Omega CMA, indicate short-term variations consistent with thepublished spectroscopic period of 1.37 day.

Spectrophotometry of bright F-, G-, K- and M-type stars. I - Measurements of 60 southern and equatorial starsSpectral energy distributions were photoelectrically measured from 320nm to 860 nm with a resolution of 1 nm in equidistant steps of 1 nm for60 bright southern and equatorial stars of intermediate and latespectral types for all luminosity classes. Flux curves for individualstars are plotted with a resolution of 1 nm and tabulated in steps of 5nm. Typical internal mean errors of fluxes measured in different nightsare less than 0.02 mag in the spectral range from 400 nm to 860 nm, andrise to a maximum of about 0.05 mag for wavelengths below 400 nm.

E. W. Fick Observatory stellar radial velocity measurements. I - 1976-1984Stellar radial velocity observations made with the large vacuumhigh-dispersion photoelectric radial velocity spectrometer at FickObservatory are reported. This includes nearly 2000 late-type starsobserved during 585 nights. Gradual modifications to this instrumentover its first eight years of operation have reduced the observationalerror for high-quality dip observations to + or - 0.8 km/s.

Estimation of spectral classifications for bright southern stars with interesting Stromgren indicesThis paper investigates the degree of success with which uvby photometrycan be applied to predict spectral classifications for 947 A, F, and Gstars brighter than an apparent magnitude of 8.3 and with four-colorindices indicating some kind of interesting, unusual, or peculiarspectrum. One or several possible spectral classifications are estimatedfor each star from photometry alone, double stars are distinguished, andthe estimates are compared with published classifications. The resultsshow that the framework provided by uvby photometry can be extended toinclude most G and K stars, reddened stars, peculiar stars, and certaintypes of double star.